Yes, my week just keeps on keeping on!!!  So, my 5th grade daughter, who is smarter than me, is getting a “F” in spelling.  She just hates studying her spelling words.  I get that, I hated it too!!!!!  She is ADHD and going through puberty.  And with ADHD, girls get worse with puberty and boys improve.  It is documented, so look it up!!  (Sorry – I am just so angry with this teacher right now!)   So I am working with her teachers on how we can get her grade up and this teacher who works with her through her special education IEP (Individual Education Plan – for kids approved for special services due to disabilities – YES Adhd is considered a disability) writes me an email that she thinks my daughter is just lazy. 

I was so taken aback by this email that I just couldn’t believe it.  Here is this woman who is a special education teacher – a teacher who is supposed to be educated on ADHD and how it manifests with these kids calling my kid lazy.  WHAT????   Are you F’in Serious?????  Isn’t if your job to keep up to date on these disabilities???  So I don’t email her back right then because I am quite frankly outraged and highly annoyed!

Now, I haven’t written her back yet because I just don’t know what to say to that.  I do, but I don’t.  There are so many different responses that I could have, but none seem right.  And sure, my kid can be lazy just like any other kid, but we are experiencing some difficulties here.  It is well documented that people with ADHD do very well if their interest is high.  My daughter isn’t interested in spelling.  I have also found that if she likes the teacher, she will work her arse off for that teacher.  If she doesn’t however, she just isn’t interested in putting forth the effort.  Guess what…she doesn’t like this teacher.  And guess what…I don’t either!!!!!    Talk about a sticky situation. 

Additionally, my daughter has a reduced number of words on her test each week due to her IEP.  She has 15 words instead of 20.  So I am working my arse off with her to get her to study these words each week.  We just have to get it done.  I ask her which 15 of the 20 words are going to be on her test, and she says that she doesn’t know, her teacher told her to study the 20 words and she would pick the 15 at randam.  Hmmm, what is that?????   Sounds like setting her up to fail to me….

So, I email that I want to know what words are definitely on her test Friday.  I email on Tuesday.  No reply, but my daughter tells me that the teacher did send me an email.  I didn’t get it, so I email again Wednesday letting her and her homeroom teacher know that I haven’t gotten the email.  They will make sure I get it.  Again Thursday I email with the same message, I didn’t get the email, so could you please send me the information.  After all it is Thursday now and the test is tomorrow!!!  Guess what, seems like the emails are getting lost in cyberspace somewhere.  YEAH RIGHT!!!  I finally get an email Friday afternoon, which is too late to help her out.  She bombs the Friday test again and I just want to rip the face off this teacher.   Funny how I have always gotten email from this teacher with no problems until now…..

So, now I have to deal with a teacher who quite frankly doesn’t like my kid and isn’t really helping her succeed.  Fabulous.  Just what I need right now.  So I am scheduling a meeting for next week.  And I will maintain and keep my cool, cause this teacher has already shown her true colors.  Good to know, but bad for my daughter.   F&^K!!  I hate spelling!

How was your week?!?!?!